The invention relates to steam ironing stations in general and more particularly to a station adaptable to different work programs.
German Petty Patent DE-GM No. 19 74 029 as well as German Pat. No. 27 50 817 disclose steam ironing stations which include an ironing work table, air permeable at its surface, arranged above a housing stand. The housing stand contains a blower including an associated switching device, the air permeable surface of the work table being in communication with the suction or blowing opening of the blower via an air guiding chamber. This chamber has at least one further air connection for optionally blowing air to or suctioning air from an ironing form which is arranged on a swinging arm and is likewise air permeable at its surface. Steam ironing stations find frequent application in plants and devices for the manufacture and processing of apparel made from textiles and of other articles. During manufacture in the apparel industry, such steam ironing stations are used in the intermediate as well as in the final ironing department, where they must be adaptable to different operating conditions. The built-in blower has as one purpose the suctioning off, in the ironing support, moisture which inevitably accumulates during steam ironing. Another purpose of the blower is the drying of textile material which has been subjected to an ironing operation and is therefore moist. The two purposes may be alternately implemented optionally by switching from a suction mode to a blowing mode.
Because of the great variation in applications, a single table-like ironing surface is, as a rule, not sufficient for such steam ironing stations. The ironing stations must also allow ironing on or at special ironing form cushions for special ironing work. This purpose is served by the above mentioned swinging arm, to the free end of which each of several ironing forms can be selectably attached.
However, independently of the swinging arm with an ironing form attachment, an interchange between different ironing work tables or ironing work support is also necessary if universal employment of such a steam ironing station is desired. These tables or supports must also be attachable with different alignments relative to the stand housing.
It is further expected of such a steam ironing station that it can be fitted to the operator to optimize working conditions. In this connection, the height of the ironing work surface and, optionally, a certain inclination of the ironing work surface to the horizontal are important.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a steam ironing station of the above-described type a simple mechanical design which can be adapted readily for different types of ironing work to be performed by means of different accessory elements, or which can be reset quickly for a new work program.